Friday, January 2

Resolution 2009: Eat More Burgers. Starting With a Give-Away of La Cense Beef!

Eat less. Spend less money. Watch less TV. Ever notice how most New Year's resolutions are all about deprivation? Well, I'm not doing it.

For me 2009 is gonna be the year of more -- eating more hamburgers. Not McDonald's or Wendy's, but homemade. I may not have a drive through, but I've got the best hamburgers I've ever eaten. It started out with a sample of grass-fed beef from La Cense, a ranch in Montana. I was not expecting much; I'm not really not a hamburger kind of girl. They claim that their unique stress-free ranching, marbled beef, and aging process makes for a beef flavor that's truer, cleaner, and more complex. I have to say, I actually agree with them. It is delicious.

(La Cense beef is packaged with dry ice.)

I made these burgers during an NFL football marathon last weekend. The burgers were better than the football (and there was some really good football last weekend). I grilled them adulterated. The meat was tender, juicy, and richly flavorful. Plus since they're 100% lean beef, they maintained their shape perfectly.

I thought I would just add some caramelized onions and then halfway through cooking them, I decided to turn them into Southwest Burgers. I slathered the smoky grilled meat with a spicy, creamy chipotle mayo and topped them with a mound a sweet, sticky caramelized onions and melted Cheddar cheese. Of course, all of this meaty goodness was sandwiched inside of a toasted sesame seed hamburger bun. (Ta-da-ta-ta-taaaah! I'm lovin' it!)

Now, you know you want a burger too. And starting today, you have a chance to win your own free package of La Cense beef. Here's what you have to do to win:

Just tell me what your favorite type of hamburger is by the end of the day, January 16, 2009. That's it.

One winner, who will need to provide her or his real name and mailing address, will be randomly selected and announced in a future post, so please check back. Don't have a blog? Just leave an active email address where you can be reached. My apologies to my international readers, but given the perishable nature of the prize, winners are limited to US residents.

Finally, if you like a good party, then consider becoming a member of the Grass-Fed Party, "an organization of people who support grass-fed foods and sustainable ranching and believe that American can hold higher standards to its cattle industry." Now that's my kind of New Year's resolution.

Preheat the grill to medium high. Using your hands, form the hamburger into patties and set aside.

On the stove top, pour 1 teaspoon canola oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions; sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar evenly over the onions and toss to coat. Cook the onions for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally until caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix mayo, chiles in adobo sauce, and lime juice; set aside.

Once the grill is hot, place the hamburgers on a clean, well-oiled grate and close the grill cover. Grill for 5-6 minutes per side, or as long as you prefer. (Don't squeeze them flat with a spatula or you'll release their delicious juices.) Use a meat thermometer for the precise level of doneness -- a medium burger is 130 degrees. Cook the meat less is you prefer it rare or longer if you prefer it well done.

Brush the hamburger buns with a dab of butter or oil. Grill for 1 minute or until desired level of toastiness is reached.

Spread some chipotle mayo on the toasted buns. Place hamburgers on the buns and top with cheese, so it will melt. Mound some caramelized onions on top, and eat immediately!

What a gorgeous piece of meat. (Hmmm...that sounds slightly naughty). I love all of those onions on top. It's great to have access to really high quality beef.

I discovered a great burger place near my office called the Burger Bar that serves up my new favorite burger. I love a big fat patty, topped with chedder cheese and caramelized onions. A pickle on the side is a must.

Since I can't cook beef at home, my favorite burger to make is a turkey burger seasoned with sauteed onions and chipotle powder, served on a bun with guacamole, and a homemade ketchup made from fire-roasted tomatoes seasoned with smoked paprika.

Grass fed meat, my husband is everything about free range, organic, grass fed way before all of this become a new thing here in CA. Anyway, he loves a classic burger and especially buffalo burger. Me? I am still having a hard time of putting burger in my mouth. I don't have any idea why? too plain, maybe? So maybe my resolution should be, learning to eat burger and appreciate burger! Sounds like a good resolution to me! Cheers,Elra

What a timely post, as some friends and I are getting together to buy half a grass fed cow and split it up. (Already butchered and packaged of course ... and buying half of a cow together allows the butcher to bypass those huge meat processing plants as I understand.)

A good burger has to have iceberg lettuce, tomato slices, red onion, and then one really gooey sauce. The sauce really depends on the mood ... could be blue cheese sauce, spicy mustard, chipolte ... but it MUST make an absolute mess as it oozes out the other side when you take a bit. Mmmmmmmm.

My favorite burger! We go and buy the bread from Macaroni Grill for the bun. We then make about a 1 1/2 lb. patty with smoked provolone cheese. Then we place caramelized red onion, red bell peppers and pablano peppers over the top of the patty and finish off the bun with a creamy Italian dressing.

I like my burgers topped with fire roasted green chiles and colby cheese — no bun. That may sound unimaginative and boring, but simple is the best way to treat high-quality food. Why mess with something that's good to begin with?

Having said that, the most important thing to me about your post is that La Cense is totally committed to humane and compassionate ranching. Their beef is also grass-fed from beginning to end, unlike many other "grass-fed" beef and bison products. It is better for the land, better for the cattle, and better for our health.

It may be more expensive to buy beef from ranchers like La Cense, but we should buy the best and eat less. We don't need a giant serving of grain fed, inhumanely treated industrial beef. A smaller portion of the good stuff will support your own body better and help support sustainable farming and ranching.

Oops, sorry about the food politics diatribe, but this is one of my passions. Go for the real thing. Plus, it tastes better, too! :-)

MelissaP.S. Happy New Year, Susan. Wishing you health, happiness, and good food in 2009!

My husband makes the best burgers. He pats out some meat and we grill sliced onions and zucchini. He adds his secret seasoning mix as he makes the patties. At the end, he adds some thick sliced cheddar cheese...delicious.

We go back and forth between a basic mushroom swiss and what we call our ATO burger - Avocado Tomato and Onion. Although I must say that we are open to any number of creative toppings. The pic looks great!

I was just thinking it'd been too long since we had burgers for dinner--and my husband and I are dying to try grass-fed beef from a local ranch. Maybe once we can afford a stand-alone freeze to store the meat....

The best burger I've ever eaten is called a SwampBurger, and as far as I know, the only place you can get one is Rickey's Bar & Grill in Bay St. Louis, Miss. Only Rickey can tell you how it's made; however, I can tell you about a mighty fine burger I make at home using ground turkey, pulverized stuffing mix, a bit of olive oil (ground turkey can be pretty dry) and kosher salt.Should I win the beef, I can be reached at expat39520@hotmail.com.

My favorite burger is a good quality hand formed burger with cheddar cheese, bacon(everything's better with bacon!)and a fried egg, over easy, on top!Although many of the above suggestions sound tasty!

Happy New Year Susan! I love your resolution. I tend to just skip over the whole resolution thing and just see where each year takes me. Into eating more burgers would be a GREAT thing. ;-)

I think the best burger that I have ever eaten was the one at Father's Office in Culver City. Perfect texture & sturdiness of bread, extremely high quality freshly ground beef...mmm mmm i'm drooling just thinking about it!

I admit to being a burger addict -- I love them, no apologies! If the beef is really good, then I just like to throw them on the grill, with no seasoning, letting the smoke of the grill give flavor -- and perhaps a slice of nice Cheddar cheese. And ketchup. Always ketchup. I'm such a kid....

I'm a big grass fed fan. I would love to try La Cense after hearing about them for years. My favorite way to have a burger is pretty traditional, actually - lots of catsup, some mayo, lettuce, big slices of raw onion and tomato. Soooo good!

I like grilled beef hamburger patty, add barbecue sauce, bacon, onion rings, pickle, and cheddar cheese. Now, I'm hungry and don't have the stuff to make a burger. Gotta go to the grocery first thing in the morning.

I'm from a rural area in NC where there are lots of "hole in the wall" places to eat with delicious food. The burger of choice for me would be a pimento cheeseburger at one of the area diners. It is a beef patty with chili, pimento cheese & barbecue slaw on a toasted bun. The pimento cheese oozes out the side as you attempt to take a bite. All I can say is yummmm! But the pic of your burger looks absolutely divine!

Oh, I love burgers. Sometimes we mix in a bit of pork sausage and fresh herbs; other times we just eat them plain, but always, always grilled. Recently I've fallen in love with Pressed Cuban-Style Burgers (recipe here: http://bad-girls-kitchen.blogspot.com/2008/11/pressed-cuban-style-burger.html)

I live in Canada so I'll have to say Where's the Beef? buy my favourite burger is topped with homemade guacamole, red onions and machee.May love and laughter light your days,and warm your heart and home.May good and faithful friends be yours,wherever you may roam.May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures.May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours!

I like a pretty basic burger - little salt, pepper, good cheddar, slice of red onion, slice of tomato, couple pieces of juicy/crispy iceburg, slather of mayo, ketchup and mustard (ketchup can NOT be touching tomato!!)

I gave you a "stumble" on that first photo alone before I even got to read the post! I do enjoy a good burger, that one just looked heavenly. I suppose my favorite is the one they make at Jake's in Del Mar - half pound juicy cheddar burger with all the fixings on (here's the best part) a sweet Hawaiian roll. I can't seem to find the bun-sized Hawaiian rolls in the stores, so every once in a while I have to treat myself to a Jake's burger to enjoy it :-)

Wow, I can see myself drooling already over these burgers. I love a good juicy burger cooked on the grill with cheddar cheese on a kaiser roll. Yummmm. Thanks for the giveaway. ditkaren at aol dot com.

Oh Yum- that burger is beautiful! Made me hungry!My favorite burger ususally has provolone cheese-wild mushrooms that have been sauted with onions-baby greens and a slice of garden tomatoe!Of course I like horseradish sauce too!

Our burgers are always made with ground turkey, or for an indulgence, buffalo. I mix minced mushrooms and spinach into the meat, bread crumbs and seasonings, then top them with spinach leaves and olive tapenade. They are divine!

Our favorite is a burger made with a mix of beef, lamb and bison, with some finely minced onion and worcestershire sauce mixed into the patties, topped with melted smoked gouda, bacon, caramelized onions and mushrooms cooked in the bacon fat, and sandwiched between 2 homemade whole wheat buns spread with chipotle mayo.

Of course the best burger is one grilled in your own backyard with lots of friends around. I'll take mine with a slice of processed cheese, pickles, lettuce and a drop of ketchup. Mmmmmm. I wonder if 18 degree weather is too cold for grilling.

That burger looks so delicious, and it is barely 10 am! My favorite burger is well seasoned and cooked to a perfect medium, on a toasted brioche bun with sour cream, caramelized onions, and aged white cheddar cheese with a few crisp slices of artisan Applewood smoked bacon. Just typing it out makes me salivate!

Everyone is right. The burger pictured looks fantastic. First things first, the burger has to have "GOOD" cheese and it's the pickle that makes it. It also has to be cooked on a seasoned griddle or cast iron pan. No seasonings except salt and pepper -- cooked medium well ... and I prefer a veal, pork and sirloin mixture for mine.

But, I'll eat whatever is put in front of me : ) when someone else is the cook!

Your hamburger inspires me to definitely make more burgers this year (love them!)I love a good black and blue (blackened with blue cheese) or spicy (chipotle mixed in with the meat) with the cheese in the middle of the burger - melty cheese in every bite!YUM!

I am a LOVER of all things grass-fed! Every day I eat grass-fed beef, bison, ostrich, venison, goat, lamb & elk! By Far Beef is my all time ground meat!

But I have to say my all time burger mix is grass-fed lamb burgers with grilled onions & eggplant all atop spaghetti squash & sauteed spinach with sun-dried tomatoes! As a matter of fact, I am having that exact dinner tonight!!

When I make beef burgers I typically keep them plain because they are so delicious that they do not NEED ANY sort of topping to make them even better! But sometimes when I am feeling like a "chef" I add diced onions, tomatoes, spinach, artichoke hearts & olive tapenade! AMAZING!!!

Doubt that the meat woudl make it across the Atlantic to me, but for the rocord, the best burger I ever made was a pork burger with generous lashings of fresh cilantro and chipotle chitney in the patty - heaven!

I know I can't enter the contest... But can I come live with you for the year? That's the best hamburger I've seen in ages.... Not something one finds here... and the beef just doesn't seem right for good burgers. I don't understand it, but there it is. Sigh...

I love ground beef but I want to taste it not cover it all up. I don't eat ketcup, mustard or mayo. I know I'm weird. I want my burger char-grilled (maybe one swipe per side of BBQ sauce or Bob's sauce) if possible but just put a big slice of white Vidala Onion on it. If want to I may put a slice of American Cheese and top with the onion. I don't eat a lot of bread but sometimes I do make a original hamburger on bread. Most of the time I eat with a side order of onion rings and sliced tomato. I would love to have "Green Hamburger"ybutler@oppcatv.com

you know, i've never had grass-fed beef so i am really curious about it. but i think the burger you described making for football is about perfect: cheddar, carmelized onions and chipotle mayo. oh yeah.

My fav; a home-made not perfectly round burger, w/ melted cheddar on top; topped with lettuce (not iceburg), garden tomatoes, vidala onions, extra pickles/dill; with just enough ketchup and mayo to squirt out the sides of the freshly baked bun on the first bite.

Susan, growing up in RI, did you ever go to Stanley's? They're my favorite burgers...lots of onions smooshed into the beef while it's grilling. And CHEAP! And they have poutine to share. It's definitely my favorite!jillparrett at hotmail dot com

My favorite burger is the peppered bleu cheese burger... mmm! I make each burger by peppering the meat before patty-ing it. I stuff each patty with the bleu cheese. Smothered with carmelized onions... After all this, I think I need to make them tonight!

oh my goodness, now I have to go eat a burger for dinner tonight. I love love blue cheese peppercorn burgers. I used to be addicted to the one at Chili's when my husband was a waiter. Now I cook my own.

La Cense Beef Rocks! If any of your readers out there have not tried it, they simply must! My favorite burger: Medium with sauteed or grilled onions, a fresh garden tomato slice, some sprouts, mustard and cheese (any kind of cheese is fine with me!) and a sprinkling of Lawrys' seasoned salt. mmmmmm.

Finally catching up on some foodie podcasts and heard you interviewed on NPR ('Tis the Cookie Season) and had to look up your blog (and cookie recipes - my mouth watered listening to you describe the pignoli cookies). Really enjoyed visiting the site and plan to visit often for inspiration.

As for burgers - I like mine well done (seasoned with Worcestershire sauce, homemade horseradish sauce, salt and pepper), topped with sauteed mushrooms (w/ a little sherry), caramelized onions, and melted cheese (could be cheddar or my new favorite, kasseri).

My favorite burger is any made with grass-fed beef. I have a friend who raises the beef that is in my freezer. Who couldn't use a little extra beef though when it comes for free so please count me in for the giveaway!

Hey those Hamburger look yummi,I love eating breakfast and always try new fast food recipes. I would love to try the hamburger for breakfast. that looks tasty. hamburger is also a snacks food option and can make a satisfying breakfast. The Photos are amazing... I am already feeling hungry.